# BRIDGET BARKAN Emerges From Grief With “GOOD THINGS”

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/bridget-barkan-emerges-from-grief-with-good-things/
- Published: 2024-05-22T12:30:00-05:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

### **BRIDGET BARKAN⏎ EMERGES FROM GRIEF WITH“󠀁[GOOD THINGS](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=5017acea8c&e=615f2b8493)󠁿“NEW SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO OUT NOW

**MAY 21, 2024 (NEW YORK, NY) —** “My intention writing this song was to get myself
out of deep, heavy, painful feelings and move towards the light,” NYC-based art 
pop singer/songwriter **BRIDGET BARKAN **says, sprinkling positivity and support
on our breakfasts this morning with her new single and music video “**GOOD THINGS**,”
out now.

[⌊Bridget Barkan⌉⌊Bridget Barkan⌉[

**Bridget Barkan**
Photo credit: **Will Polanco**

Sonically glam/pop meets Grizzly Bear meets Pat Benatar, this “actress of music”
and former Scissor Sisters backup singer says, “theatrical performance is always
there for music videos, and my dance background always finds its way back in, as
well.” Emotionally weighted by personal tragedies, loss, and challenges exacerbated
by the events of October 7, 2023 and the ongoing war in Gaza, Bridget was mired 
deep in a dark place.

“I was going through a lot emotionally and personally that October, as were a lot
of people in the world with the attack on October 7th and the impending war,” she
explains. “All that I was going through personally exploded out of me, and I found
connections between a lot of the experiences: the duality of sorrow and relief, 
as well as the heart’s true compassion… No matter the perspective, you can see that
many truths exist at the same time.” 

Losing her father (the celebrated songwriter/producer Marcus Barkan who wrote for
Nat King Cole, Lesley Gore and even wrote the _Banana Splits_ theme song “Tra La
La”, among [many others](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=34b18d9f6b&e=615f2b8493))
during the pandemic meant she had to struggle with the loss in isolation due to 
the quarantine. Bridget also suffered a great deal of personal trauma in the last
year from a miscarriage and a difficult breakup. “Good Things” finds her emerging
from the grief to celebrate life and overcome all this hardship.

The accompanying video is an incredibly beautifully shot and dramatized expression
of the song, really showcasing her artistry and vision, capturing the beauty and
wonder in life while also grappling with the inevitable pain– reminding everyone
they are not alone.

Bridget Barkan - Good Things (Official Video)

[⌊Bridget Barkan - Good Things (Official Video)⌉⌊Bridget Barkan - Good Things (Official
Video)⌉
Watch this video on YouTube

**Bridget Barkan “Good Things”**

Written from a 5-step songwriting process Bridget invented as a songwriting workshop
instructor at **Carnegie Hall **where, for the last seven plus years, she has taught
incarcerated youth and NYC teachers, “Good Things” holds onto the glimmer of light
in a dark and hardened world.  Bridget explains about a line from the song (_I used
to love October changing leaves on Halloween, but this is the month I was almost
a mother, now little pumpkins mean something different to me_):

“This lyric is probably the hardest to sing, but it came without effort and it rhymed
without thinking. It’s such an honest feeling, and describes all of the fun things
you imagine doing with your children on Halloween (putting your baby in a pumpkin
costume, taking them trick-or-treating)… a deep sense of longing through a very 
simplistic description.” While expressing a very poignant take, the song remains
upbeat and encouraging.

A regular in the NYC artsy pop underground that includes Bright Light Bright Light,
Xavier Smith, and John Cameron Mitchell among many others, Bridget is a “Jill of
All Trades” on a one woman journey through love and loss. She also formerly toured
the world with **Scissor Sisters** and can be seen in their earth-shattering “[Let’s Have A Kiki](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=c1926d25dd&e=615f2b8493)”
video as one of Ana Matronic’s crew. Having inherited her father’s knack for songwriting,
Bridget’s intrinsic artistry and talent is a legacy she proudly carries.

**More About “Good Things”:**
The video, directed and edited by Bridget, herself,
and co-edited by **Isabel Del Rosal** and co-starring “twin-dancer” **Casey Urban**,
shows Bridget using “dance to move energy and emotion through me. I feel it’s healing,
so I consider this video a ritual to release the sadness,” she expresses.

“The **Boom Box Room** was a perfect location. It has so many different light options,
so I just went with it. There were some unplanned, organic things that happened 
with one rainbow light set up, which showed a more expressive and fun side of the
song. My co-director Isabel said she could see me outdoors in part of the video,
and I realized, ‘_Of course! Rain makes things grow, and sadness can make things
grow!_’ So, we went to the botanical gardens and stole some shots of the blooming
flowers before we got kicked out.”

**More About Bridget: **
Bridget Barkan is a chameleon artist who shape-shifts through
genre and style with a thread of raw truth and soul, woven into every melody and
lyric. A native New Yorker, she has toured the world with pop/glam band **Scissor
Sisters**, opened for **Lady Gaga **with them, and has performed with **Bright Light
Bright Light **and **Slow Knights**.

Starring in LGBTQ romantic classic “**Walk with Me**,” as a singer/songwriter, Bridget
was featured on the original album, as well.

As a singer, she has shared the stage with Drag legends **Joey Arias, Murray Hill**
and more and has released singles with the House DJ/producer legend **Todd Terry**,
as well as numerous of her own singles. She worked closely with Baz Luhrmann as 
the voice of Misty Holloway on the Netflix show “**The Get Down**.” 

As a child actress, she has appeared in countless commercials and _Sesame Street_.
She has starred in HBO’s _Everyday People, Sherrybaby, Redacted, God’s Pocket,_ 
Steven Soderbergh’s_ The Knick _and had a recurring role as a one-legged “hooker”
on _Law & Order: SVU_. On stage, Barkan has appeared in numerous productions including
_Dog Sees God_ and alongside Lea Michelle in a workshop of _Spring Awakening._

**Social Media:**
[Website](https://www.bridgetbarkan.com/) | [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/bridgetbarkanmusic/)
| [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/bridgetbarkan/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BridgetBarkan)
| [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVC1OHnfTBz2uqhUKycuzSw)

[⌊Reybee Inc⌉⌊Reybee Inc⌉[

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